Coronavirus: Government to ‘facilitate’ evacuation of Ghanaians stranded abroad
Ghanaian nationals who are stranded outside the country and are willing to bear the cost of their evacuation have been asked to submit their details to the Ghana High Commission by close of Wednesday, May 13, 2020.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, which issued the directive in a statement, suggested that it would facilitate their travel back to Ghana only if they are prepared to cover their own expenses.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana is collating information on Ghanaians and Legal Permanent Residents who are stranded abroad as a result of the closure of international borders in containment of COVID-19 pandemic.”
“To this end, eligible nationals who are prepared to pay for their cost of travel to Ghana must submit details specified below to the Ghana High Commission not later than close of day on Wednesday, 13th May 2020.”
Ghana’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and the Consulate in New York recently begun collecting data of Ghanaians stranded in the United States.
This exercise was expected to capture residents in the tri-state of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Information Officer at Ghana’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Frederick Kofi Ameyaw had told Citi News that the data is to help government plan a possible evacuation of persons left stranded due to the current closure of the country’s borders as a measure to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country.
The Minority in Parliament had called on the government to evacuate Ghanaian citizens stranded in other countries due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Both the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) have made provisions for their citizens in Ghana to be evacuated, since the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus in Ghana.
The US has so far evacuated over 1,400 American citizens and permanent residents of the US.
Source: Citinewsroom